James 2
1 My brethren, hold ye not the faith of the glory of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, with a respect to persons.
My brothers, do not hold the faith of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah of glory with partiality.
2 For if there come into your assembly a man with rings of gold or splendid garments, and there come in a poor man in sordid garments;
For if someone with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor person in filthy clothing also comes in;
3 and ye show respect to him who is clothed in splendid garments, and say to him, Seat thyself here, conspicuously; while to the poor man, ye say, Stand thou there, or sit thou here before my footstool;
and you pay special attention to the one who wears the fine clothing, and say, "Sit here in a good place;" but you tell the poor person, "Stand there," or "Sit by my footstool."
4 are ye not divided among yourselves, and become expositors of evil thoughts?
Have you not discriminated among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Hear, my beloved brethren; hath not God chosen the poor of the world, but the rich in faith, to be heirs in the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?
Listen, my beloved brothers. Did not God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him?
6 But ye have despised the poor man. Do not rich men exalt themselves over you, and drag you before the tribunals?
But you have dishonored the poor person. Do not the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?
7 Do they not revile that worthy name, which is invoked upon you?
Do not they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
8 And if in this ye fulfill the law of God, as it is written, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye will do well:
However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You are to love your neighbor as yourself," you do well.
9 but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin; and ye are convicted by the law, as transgressors of the law.
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For he that shall keep the whole law, and yet fail in one precept, is obnoxious to the whole law.
For whoever keeps the whole law, and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For he who said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. If then thou commit no adultery, but thou killest, thou hast become a transgressor of the law.
For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so act, as persons that are to be judged by the law of liberty.
So speak, and so do, as those who are to be judged by a law of freedom.
13 For judgment without mercy shall be on him, who hath practised no mercy: by mercy, ye will be raised above judgment.
For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What is the use, my brethren, if a man say, I have faith; and he hath no works? can his faith vivify him?
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him?
15 Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
And if a brother or sister is poorly clothed and may be lacking in daily food,
16 and one of you say to them, Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full; and ye give them not the necessaries of the body, what is the use?
and one of you tells them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled;" and yet you did not give them the things the body needs, what good is it?
17 So also faith alone, without works, is dead.
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
18 For a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show to me thy faith that is without works; and I will show to thee, my faith by my works.
But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou dost well; the demons also believe, and tremble.
You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder.
20 Wouldst thou know, O frail man, that faith without works is dead?
But do you want to know, foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
21 Abraham our father, was not he justified by works, in offering his son Isaac upon the altar?
Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
22 Seest thou, that his faith aided his works; and that by the works his faith was rendered complete?
You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected;
23 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith: Abraham believed in God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the Friend of God.
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness;" and he was called the friend of God.
24 Thou seest, that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone.
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
25 So also Rahab, the harlot, was not she justified by works, when she entertained the spies, and sent them forth by another way?
In like manner was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the messengers, and sent them out another way?
26 As the body without the spirit, is dead; so faith without works, is dead also.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.
